Chapter 3 - Ambush!
Misty made her way into the fort, having barely made it past the threshold of the portcullis before she was swarmed by her fellow soldiers.
"What happened to you?"
"Where did you go?"
"What are the princesses doing here?"
"What is that thing speaking to the princesses?"
Misty locked up as the wave of questions hit her full-force.
"P-please, I'm-" Misty said, trying to come up with something to excuse herself before she was interrogated further.
"Stop harassing the commander, back to your stations" A stern-voiced and built auburn stallion said, the crowd of ponies dispersing with groans and mumbles of protest.
"Thank you, Comet" Misty sighed, thankful that Comet Showers, a fellow commander, had appeared.
"You look like you crawled out of Tartarus" Comet teased, putting a hoof on Misty's shoulder.
"Come on, I feel like you've got a story to tell"
Misty just nodded her head and followed behind Comet as the two of them headed to the commanders' living quarters. The two trotted along in silence, the shifting of metal on metal and hooves on cobblestones being the only sounds made by the two as they went. Comet stopped outside of the door to Misty's room, turning to face her.
"Go ahead and get that armor off. I'll have some food and drink sent to you, as well as some hot water for a bath" Comet smiled, the stallion's rough features in juxtaposition to his kind nature.
"You've earned your rest, we'll talk later once you've recovered"
Misty nodded her head again, giving Comet a smile, wanting to finally unwind after everything that happened to her. Misty trotted inside, Comet closing the door behind her with a soft click, his hoofsteps echoing in the hallway as he left. Misty unclasped her armor, letting it fall to the ground in a pile. She let out a sigh of relief as the weight of the metal was lifted, her body already feeling better. Not long after stripping out of her armor, Misty heard a knock at the door. Excited to eat and drink something, as well as clean herself, Misty unlocked the door with her magical grasp.
"Come in, it's unlocked" Misty informed whoever was on the other side of the door, welcoming them to enter.
Instead of a soldier carrying a hot meal and water to wash in, Misty found herself now in the company of the princesses.
"Y-Your royal majesties!" Misty exclaimed, dropping into a bow that caused her to bump her snout on the hard floor as she realized how nonchalant she had just greeted them.
"Apologies, your majesties, I didn't know it was you at my door"
"Be at peace, Commander Glory" Celestia smiled, Misty's heart skipping a beat as the princess of the sun called her by her name while she rubbed a hoof over her sore snout, covering her giddy smile.
Misty put her hoof down and stood back up to face the princesses, the two rulers still accepting Misty's invitation to enter her quarters. The entourage of golden-armored royal guards remained outside of Misty's room, guarding it from all entry. Misty noticed not all of the guards were present, but her focus was brought back to her royal guests when Luna spoke up.
"Thine quarters are most quaint" Luna mused, derailing Misty's train of thought as the princess looked around Misty's sparsely decorated interior.
"Thank you, your majesty" Misty said, internally squealing with joy at the princess's approval of her room.
"B-but if I may... What brings you to my quarters?"
"We wished to discuss a matter of importance with thee" Celestia explained, causing Misty to gulp.
"A-and what would your majesties wish to discuss with me?" Misty asked, even though she already knew what the matter was about. The details, no doubt, about to be delivered to her by the princesses
"It is pertaining to thine newfound companion, Sir Vvulf" Luna replied, coming back to stand next to her sister.
"There is something that We must request of thee"
"Anything, your majesties" Misty responded, giving them a quick bow.
"We wouldst ask thee to accompany Sir Vvulf in his endeavors, guide him and keep him... docile whilst in the company of Our citizens" Celestia finally said, blinking her eyes a few times in disbelief to what she just heard.
"Y-you want... What, your majesties?" Misty asked shyly, wanting to make sure she indeed had heard her correctly.
"We art asking thou to be a interpreter for thine foreign savior whilst he remains in Our borders" Luna repeated for her sister, making it clear what it was they wanted from Misty.
"I- I-" Misty stuttered, unable to form a cohesive thought at the moment.
"At peace Our little pony," Celestia said in her motherly tone, Misty's mind calming almost instantly to the kind words.
"Thou'st hath all freedom to refuse Our request..."
"N-No, your majesty!" Misty finally spoke up.
"It would be my honor to fulfill your request. I was just amazed that you got him to stay, he was so ready to leave before... How did you change his mind?"
Celestia and Luna looked at each other, Celestia shaking her head at Luna who nodded in response.
"We made him an offer he couldn't refuse" Celestia said tactfully, Misty just nodding her head in agreement, not wanting to disrespect the princesses with prying questions.
"And you would like me to stay with him... But why me?" Misty asked, looking between the princesses.
"Thou art the one most acquainted with Sir Vvulf, given that factor, We proposed thou'st were the prime candidate" Luna replied, her reasoning was as good as any, given the strange nature of Vvulf.
"So," Celestia said, getting Misty's attention
"Would'st thou still wish to accept Our request?"
Misty gave the princesses a low bow, sweeping her hoof across her barrel.
"It would be my honor to accept your request" Misty replied in her most professional and respectful tone.
"Most splendid!" Luna cheered, clapping her hooves together softly.
"Come, We must inform Sir Vvulf on thine decision" Celestia said, turning and exiting Misty's room, followed shortly after by Luna and Misty herself.
Vvulf stood in the center of the fort's open courtyard, several royal guards standing between him and the growing crowd of the ponies as the soldiers began to gather to gawk at the strange creature. Vvulf knew the guards weren't capable of actually stopping him if he decided to attack any of the ponies present, or if the mob of ponies decided to swarm the strange creature.
"What are you?" One curious red pegasus mare asked, cocking her head as she looked Vvulf up and down.
"An ally" Vvulf replied bluntly.
"For now"
Vvulf's ominous response sent shivers down the mare's spine as she moved back in the crowd, putting distance and bodies between her and the wolf-faced creature. A few ponies left the gathering after hearing his answer while others began to whisper amongst themselves, the mares especially talkative knowing Vvulf to be a stallion of sorts now.
"Sir Vvulf," Celestia called from a parapet walk above, Vvulf looking up to see her, Luna, and Misty standing there along with the remainder of the royal guards.
"What is it?" Vvulf asked plainly, some ponies' jaws going slack with disbelief in how this creature was speaking to their two rulers.
"Commander Glory hath come to a final decision" Celestia said, turning to smile at Misty.
"She will accompany thee"
"I see" Vvulf replied, continuing to stand neutrally and stare up at the trio of mares.
"Doth this displease thee, Sir Vvulf?" Luna asked, confused by his bland response.
"No" Vvulf responded curtly, taking a moment to look back down at the mob of ponies before him.
"When do we set off?" He asked coldly, looking back up at the princesses.
"Set off?" Misty repeated, confused as to what her new companion meant.
"Apologies, Commander Glory, thou art to accompany Sir Vvulf on his campaign in the frigid North" Celestia explained to Misty, causing the mare's stomach to churn at the thought of the war currently raging against the self-proclaimed 'King' Sombra.
"B-By your orders, your majesties" Misty replied, doing her best to hide her discomfort with the request as it was too late to back out now.
Celestia smiled at Misty, lifting the mare's chin with her wingtip to look the royal in the eyes.
"Fret not, Misty Glory," Celestia said in her motherly tone, Misty's fears leaving her as she stared into Celestia's shimmering eyes and heard her name in that sweet voice.
"Thou shalt remain safe at Sir Vvulf's side, We know'st this to be true"
"I trust you, your majesty" Misty responded, Celestia giving the mare a pleased smile and folding her white wing back to her side.
Celestia turned back to face Vvulf who continued to stare up at his companion and the two princesses, his silent gaze piercing into the core of Misty as she locked eyes with the wolf.
"Thou shalt set out on the morrow, once the sun has risen above the horizon" Celestia said, Luna shifting her stance ever-so-slightly at the mention of the importance of the sun, but her expression remained composed and pleasant.
"Understood" Vvulf said, giving a small nod.
"Is there a blacksmith?" Vvulf asked, looking down and across the crowd of the fort's occupants.
"I'm the smithy here" A yellow mare said, raising a soot-covered hoof.
"I need materials for repairs" Vvulf said, focusing solely on the mare blacksmith.
"Aye, I've got the materials you need, but they're not free. Not even for whatever you are" The mare smithy said, staring at Vvulf confidently.
"I can pay" Vvulf replied, retrieving a hefty pouch that jingled full of crowns from his belt.
"That you can..." The mare smithy mused with a smirk, some of the other ponies gawking at more crowns than they see in a season in a single pouch.
"And that you will, come, follow me" The mare smithy beckoned with a hoof, walking away from the crowd of ponies.
Vvulf followed the blacksmith to her workshop, the sea of multi-colored ponies parting to let the armored giant through.
After gathering what he needed from the smithy in a large sac, Vvulf headed for somewhere private, locking himself inside an unoccupied room to complete his preparations for travel.
"Come, there art preparations thou hast to tend to as well" Celestia spoke to Misty, beckoning her to follow, away from overlooking the dispersing crowd.
Vvulf emerged from his reclusive chamber the next morning before the sun had risen, his equipment now looking a little less worse-for-wear. He noticed a small bowl of oatmeal and a mug of ale outside his door at his feet, ignoring the meal as he stepped over it on his way to the courtyard.
Misty stirred from her sleep as the tips of the sun's rays began to barely creep over the horizon. Misty let out a long yawn as she stretched her back, reaching her hooves up above her head and cracking her back. It had felt euphoric to sleep in her own bed again after everything that had occurred in the last few days. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and collected her belongings, leaving her room with what little she owned. With her possessions accounted for and being carried behind her by her magical grasp, Misty headed for the fort's courtyard, noticing an untouched meal outside of the now open room Vvulf had occupied.
Misty wasn't surprised to see Vvulf leaning against a wall in the courtyard, staying out of the way of the rest of their traveling group as they readied themselves. Celestia had explained that Misty and Vvulf would be accompanied by a caravan carrying a resupply of food goods and raw materials.
"You've been standing there for a while, haven't you?" Misty asked rhetorically, already knowing what Vvulf's answer was going to be.
"Yes" Vvulf said, standing up and moving to help the ponies load the wagons.
"Did you even sleep at all?" Misty asked with some genuine concern.
"No" Vvulf said, taking a sack full of grains that a pony was struggling with and hefting it onto the cart with ease.
"What?!" Misty exclaimed in disbelief.
"Why not?"
"It's unnecessary" Vvulf replied, continuing to help the final preparations for their voyage.
"I noticed a meal outside your door, is eating not necessary for you either?" Misty asked in a sassy tone, squinting her eyes at Vvulf. If she was going to be his guide in Equestria, the least he could do for her was take care of himself.
"Correct" Vvulf answered plainly, the last of the cargo having finally loaded.
Misty stood there in a shocked silence, Vvulf didn't need to sleep, eat, or drink to her knowledge. More questions arose as to what nature of creature her armored companion was, but the warming glow of early sun on her face reminded her of the task at hand. Shaking her head, Misty made a mental note to try and have Vvulf explain a little more to her at a later time. Jade Lotus, a stark-white earth pony mare, who had been loading the carts trotted over to Misty and Vvulf, giving the armored giant a nod of acknowledgement.
"We appreciate the help... Sir" Jade Lotus said as she looked Vvulf up and down.
"We're all set to leave, Commander Glory"
Misty looked over at Vvulf, who's gaze was focused on the carts of supplies, his arms crossed over his chest. She turned back to Jade and gave the mare a smile.
"Then let's make the most of the light, Commander Lotus" Misty said, the other two members of the caravan going to work fastening the wagons behind them after receiving a nod of approval from Jade.
"Agreed" Vvulf said, nodding his head and turning to follow the caravan as they exited the fort.
The caravan of five plotted along the rough 'road' of worn earth going North, making their way to the encampment there. Vvulf trailed behind the wagons, his snarling facade constantly scanning the rocky landscape around them. Jade and Misty trotted side-by-side at the front, leading the entourage as they talked to each other.
"So, what is he anyway?" Jade asked nodding her head towards Vvulf, Misty already aware of who she meant.
"I don't know... He wont tell me" Misty admitted, turning back to look at the strange creature she was a companion to.
"And we're trotting with him straight into a war zone?" Jade said, looking back at Vvulf.
"How do we know he's not going to stab us in the back?"
"I mean... He didn't have to save me from the Hydra or even help me back to the fort, but he did" Misty said, looking back at Vvulf, who began to scan the top of the gully the caravan had just entered.
"If he wanted to attack us ponies, he could've started with the princesses when he was alone with them"
"You left the princesses alone with that... Thing?" Jade whisper-hissed at Misty, in disbelief that she would ever willingly allow this foreign creature that close to the princesses.
"Stop" Vvulf said, interjecting into Misty and Jade's conversation. The two mare's blood running cold at the thought that he had heard what they had been saying about him.
"I- I'm sorry-" Jade stuttered out, turning to look at Vvulf.
"Quiet" Vvulf said, scanning the top of the sloped land above. Jade pouting slightly at Vvulf's rude response.
Before Jade could try and give Vvulf a piece of her mind, a bolt lodged itself in the temple of one of the ponies pulling the carts. His lifeless body went limp, held upright by the cart he was fastened to. Vvulf dropped to a low stance, taking ahold of his axe with one hand as the other pushed Jade out of the way of another bolt that embedded into the dirt where she had been standing.
"Eight seconds" Vvulf noted, turning his beastly gaze upwards as he caught sight of their attackers rushing down the sides of the gully.
"Ambush!" Jade said, the other cart pulling pony unfastening himself and drawing his sword as Misty and Jade drew their weapons.
"One" Vvluf began to count, running up the hill towards the score of brigands.
"Two" Vvulf counted, cleaving a pony in two across the shoulders with his axe. Misty, Jade, and the other living cart pony braced for combat, putting themselves behind the carts, out of the danger of the crossbow-pony.
"Four" Vvulf counted, slamming his fist into the snout of a brigand that had attempted to attack him. The pony stumbling back as she clutched her bloody snout with a hoof before Vvulf's axe was buried in her skull.
"Six" Vvulf counted, cutting into two ponies that had been running too close together. Several brigands managing to slip past Vvulf as he cut a bloody path up the hillside towards the crossbow-pony.
Jade made short work of an attacker as they rounded the side of the cart, her spear plunging into the eye socket of the brigand and exiting out the back of her skull. Another brigand was cut down by Misty, her sword blow spraying a mess of crimson onto her face as she cut across the pony's throat.
"Eight" Vvulf finished, grabbing ahold of a brigand that had come at him. Vvulf used the pony as a meat shield, putting him between him and the crossbow-pony, catching a bolt with the pony's back. Vvulf held the pony up by his throat, the brigand gagging as he cried out in silent pain. Vvulf silenced his retching and sobbing when he tightened his metallic grasp, crushing the pony's throat. The crossbow-pony looked down at the corpse of the pony Vvulf had just used, blood pouring from his open mouth as life left his eyes.
"One" Vvulf began again, locking the ravenous gaze of the wolf on the terrified crossbow-pony before hurling his axe at her. The heavy blade of Vvulf's axe split the brigand's head and neck like a log, cleaving the meat and bone in half as her body fell to the ground, feeding into the river of blood running down the slope.
The three ponies at the caravan held their ground well, funneling the brigands to attack one at a time, where they met either the blade of a sword, or point of a spear. Misty had locked blades with a rough unicorn pony wielding a short sword and shield with his magical grasp. Misty tried to get around his defenses, but any time she had an opening it was quickly closed by the deadly stab or slash of the brigand's blade. She was slowly moving against the cart as she was forced to fight defensively, using the flat of her blade to block blow after ruthless blow from the brigand unicorn.
Misty stumbled and fell back against the side of the cart, losing her magical grasp on her sword. The brigand unicorn leered down at Misty as she looked back up at him with wide-eyed terror. That terror became shock and surprise as the unicorn brigand's head was impaled by Jade's spear, the bloody weapon going through one cheek and out the other. The unicorn brigand collapsed to the ground as Jade withdrew her spear, turning back to face the next wave of attackers.
"Get up Misty!" Jade yelled, snapping Misty back to reality.
"I refuse to die in some bucking trench!"
Misty rose back to her hooves, grabbing her sword. The other cart pulling pony let out a cry of pain as a knife found itself lodged in his flank. He fell back, dropping to lie against the cart. Misty lunged forward with her blade, impaling the brigand who had just attacked her comrade, avenging him. Jade impaled one last brigand before what remained of the ambush fled, scrambling up and over the other side of the gully.
"Are you alright?" Jade asked Misty, panting as she stuck her spear into the earth to lean on it. The two mares took a moment to catch their breaths now that the fighting was over.
"I think so" Misty replied, looking over the bloody mess.
Her gaze followed the stream of blood up the hill, over the brutalized bodies, her gaze settling on the blood covered beast at the top of the gully as he retrieved his axe from what remained of the crossbow-pony. Misty's blood ran cold as she stared at her companion, his shoulders rising and falling slowly as he took deep breaths, looming over his kill. Both Misty and Jade could almost feel an aura of pure bloodlust emanating from Vvulf, the hairs on the back of their necks standing up.
Vvulf rejoined what remained of the caravan, stepping over the corpses of the brigands without so much as looking down at them.
"W-were you injured, Vvulf?" Misty asked, her voice trembling with fear as he loomed over her. The hollow eyes of the snarling wolf burrowing into Misty's soul, Vvulf remaining silent for a moment as he stared directly at her.
"No" Vvulf finally replied, relaxing his posture.
Misty let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, thankful that her companion hadn't decided to continue feeding his bloodlust with their bodies.
A groan from the carts got the group's attention, Misty and Jade turning with their weapons ready. They quickly dropped their guard when they saw that it was their comrade that had made the sound, rushing over to the wounded pony. Misty grabbed ahold of the knife in his side with her magic as Jade joined Misty at his side.
"Wait!" Vvulf tried to warn, but it was too late, Misty had pulled the blade from his side. A steady stream of blood began to run down the pony's side, Misty rushing to the cart to find the medical supplies.
"Stop" Vvulf said, putting his bloody hand on Misty's shoulders.
"Move!" Misty scolded with a shove, trying to push past Vvulf.
"I'm trying to help him"
"He's already dead" Vvulf replied coldly, Misty's ears drooping as she looked up at Vvulf's unwavering facade.
"He's... He'll be fine" Misty replied, trying to hold out hope.
"He would have been fine, had you left the dagger in" Vvulf said, taking the gauze from her and putting it back into the cart.
"The blade had sealed his punctured lung. You opened it"
"I- I killed him?" Misty asked in horror, falling back to sit on her haunches.
"In a way, yes" Vvulf responded, Misty's ears pressing back against her head even more as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"I... I..." Misty said, searching for something, anything to say. She watched as Vvulf walked over to the dying stallion, blood leaking from his mouth now.
"P-Please..." The stallion begged, staring up at the snarling visage.
Vvulf silently took the knife Misty had pulled from his side and pressed it into the center of his throat. The blade slid in with little resistance as both mares watched in abject horror. The stallion gasped a few times before his eyes went blank, Vvulf shutting his lids with his pointer and middle fingers while he withdrew the knife slowly. Jade vomited onto the dirt below her while Misty watched the last trickles of blood leak from the stallion's body.
"W-what the buck is wrong with you?!" Jade scolded, retching a few more times as she spat in an attempt to clear her mouth of the taste of bile.
"Would you rather he had suffered longer?" Vvulf asked in his cold, rhetorical tone. Jade turned away from the armored killer, a scowl on her snout in silent contempt for Vvulf.
Vvulf loaded the bodies of the two cart pulling ponies onto one of the carts, unhooking the one from where he had been shot and closing his eyes as well. With the corpses of their comrades loaded, Vvulf grabbed both carts by the bar that would have rested against a pony's barrel.
"How much further?" Vvulf asked, looking down at the two mares.
Jade refused to even so much as look at the monstrous man, remaining bitterly silent as she ignored Vvulf with contempt.
"Half a days trot to the next fort, twice that to the front" Misty finally spoke up, wanting to get away from the strewn bodies.
Vvulf nodded his head and allowed Misty to take the lead, the grey unicorn taking the lead. Misty's eyes constantly scanned the top of the gully, now terrified of another ambush occurring. Jade walked off to the right of Vvulf and the carts, her scanning of the landscape broken only by the occasional dagger she would glare at Vvulf's snarling visage. The trio continued through the rocky landscape, the strong winds blowing past their bodies as they progressed towards their destination.
Muddy here,
Hope you enjoyed this chapter 
I didn't mean to have it be so long or take so long, but work and family kept distracting me. As for the length, I hope it's not too bad 
I wanted to be able to develop the plot and introduce characters, as well as include an action 'scene' so things don't get too boring 
The next chapter will hopefully be out soon (if I can find some time to work on it 
) and hopefully wont be as long as this one 
Thanks for reading!
Muddy, out 
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10013921
There's more now
10012857
Not quite out before the new year, but not a bad way to start the new decade
great chapter.
10014434
I was worried it might've been too long for someone to enjoy
Thanks
Excelente so far!👍
Great chapter
Definitely getting some Goblin Slayer vibes in this chapter. With how minimal Vvulf is with his wording and how he counts his confirmed kills, all habits of the Goblins Slayer. He is also blunt and brutal when he argues which is one that I can get behind.
Keep it up!
10016698
I definitely took some inspirations from Goblin Slayer, for Vvulf.
As for the counting though, that was actually him counting the time between shots of the crossbow (sorry if there was any confusion there)
I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as it goes on
I see something that needs to be said: either A; this is the past, which I call bullshit. Or B, it's in a alternative timeline and you like hearing Celestia speak in that.
Doesn't add up
First quote says the knife was in his flank, the second says it was in his lung.
Are ponies lungs in their butt now?